National Fossil Day is Oct. 16 and Slippery Rock University got a one-day jump on celebrating thanks to a visit from Vincent Santucci, the senior paleontologist for the U.S. National Park Service, and the man who helped establish National Fossil Day 10 years ago. Santucci hosted a NFD presentation in The Quad that featured a chance for attendees to earn a "Junior Paleontologist" badge while examining a collection of fossils he brought to The Rock. National Fossil Day is a nationwide partnership and celebration to promote the scientific and educational values of fossils. It was established by the NPS in 2009. NPS partners with 375 organizations across the country, including the Geological Society of America, Smithsonian Natural History Museum and the Paleontological Society, to conduct programming around National Fossil Day.
